Two American ambassadors were sent to Napolean to purchase the small bit of land at the entrance to the Mississippi River. Napoleon offered to sell the United States all of Louisiana. Had they waited until they had approval from Congress, Napoleon might have withdrawn his offer. Courageously, they offered Napoleon $15 million for it and he accepted. As Chuck Swindoll put it, “To recognize opportunity is the difference between success and failure.” If we are complacent, we will miss opportunities (Lk 12:35, Voice).
It may require discernment, courage, and boldness to seize an opportunity. We may risk the criticism of others. It can be dangerous and lead to pain and hardship. Certainly, opportunities normally lead to problems and hard work (Prov 10:5, LB). This is part of why it can be so difficult to recognize opportunities. Most of us don’t want more problems and hard work. We usually want to reduce our danger, not increase it. Yet, “Opportunities multiply as they are seized” (Sun Tzu).
So how do we take advantage of the opportunities before us? As much as possible, we prepare ourselves so we are ready if an opportunity presents itself (1 Cor 14:26, Phillips). As Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” In addition, we live in the moment, staying ready and listening to God. Furthermore, we look at danger, problems, and suffering differently. We don’t focus on security but examine our current situation with a view to seeing if there are opportunities present on which we can take risks. As Saul D. Alinsky said, “The Chinese write the word ‘crisis’ with two characters. One means danger and the other means opportunity. Together they spell ‘crisis.’” Unwillingness to risk a crisis means forfeiting an opportunity (Lk 19:20-23).
Instead of being timid, learn to be appropriately bold.